After the Other Eight
by patricia51
Summary: A little slice of what life might hold for Ava and Sara and their friends in the future. AvaLance. Natari. DarhkAtom. Fluffiness and happiness.


After the Other Eight by patricia51

(A little slice of what life might hold for Ava and Sara and their friends in the future. AvaLance. Natari. DarhkAtom. Fluffiness and happiness.

(Note: Story and title suggested by Season 4 Episode 12 "The Eggplant, The Witch & The Wardrobe".

Ava: "We should probably talk about whether or not we want kids."

Sara: "Let's wait until the other eight are old enough to handle the news.")

"If you don't stop that I am turning this vehicle around right this second," Ava Sharpe announced in a loud, firm voice.

None of the five in the back seats of the flyer believed in that threat for a second. However, the tone of their mother's voice indicated that she had reached the limit of her patience and that they would be well advised to follow her directions. With only a few more bumps and elbow nudges and half-smothered teasing comments aimed at each other, they settled down, turned their attentions to their 3-D players and subsided. Besides, she might really mean it this time and none of them wanted to miss this trip.

In the passenger's seat the teens' other mother, Sara Lance, somehow managed to smother a burst of laughter that she feared would set off her beloved. Her face turning red, combined with clapping both hands over her mouth, gave her amusement away. But when Ava's sideways glance took her in, Sara was happy to see that Ava was well aware of the lighter side of her threat.

No words were exchanged by the two adults until the flyer pulled into the landing area of HeyWorld. Since they not only held Gold Class season tickets but were known to the staff to be close friends of the founders and owners of the park, they were immediately whisked inside. Once there Sara reviewed the rules.

"Stick together," she directed. "Go where you want but meet back here for lunch."

A brief discussion ensued. Unsurprisingly the girls wanted to go one way and the boys another.

"As long as you stay with each other," Ava said. "And Laurel," she turned to the oldest girl, "That especially means you three. No running off with Dinah and leaving Pam by herself. You keep your youngest sister with you at all times."

The teen looked embarrassed. "It won't happen again, Mom." Suiting her actions to her words she took Pam by one hand and Dinah with the other and the trio scampered off. By then Randy and Quentin had already headed off.

"Where are they going? As if I didn't know."

"To visit Wickstable. I bet you we find all five of them there later. He's their favorite."

"Especially since all of them are such friends with him that he will dance for them. Thanks to Aunt Zari, of course."

"Of course. Speaking of Aunt Zari..."

"Hey there!" the woman in question called out cheerfully. She and her husband Nate embraced the two women.

"I knew you were here somewhere" Zari confessed. "We just saw the girls. They were headed over to meet the Minotaur. They do love singing with him."

"Oh?" asked Ava. "Are they a bother?"

"Far from it," Nate hastened to add. "As you know he's our wandering minstrel, which he loves. But the girls sing harmony with him and not only does he enjoy it but the visitors love it too. In fact," he paused, made eye contact with his wife, who nodded, before he continued, "we were wondering if, after school is out, you would approve of them taking a summer job here to keep doing their singing with him."

"And Nasreem would love it too," Zari added, referring to her and Nate's daughter, named after her mother. "We just left her there so she'll be excited to see your girls."  
After another quick look, this time between Sara and Ava, Sara nodded her approval. The foursome strolled around the park, with Nate proudly pointing out recent updates as well as plans he had for new attractions. Sara smiled, noting that as they walked together that Nate and Zari held hands. Even after all this time, it was an almost automatic action for the couple.

What a time Nate and Zari had getting together. Not that she and Ava had an easy road, starting as adversaries and breaking up more than once. And Ray Palmer and Nora Darhk, goodness, no one who knew of their beginnings would have ever believed they would fall in love, any more than accepting that from being a willing demon vessel Nora had gone on to become one of the most powerful good witches ever. It was, of course, because of Ray's unfailing belief in her but also because that belief had been answered by Nora accepting that she could use her powers for good. Interestingly, their daughter, Ruve, displayed both a passion and a talent for mechanical engineering while their son, David looked to rival his mother in the sheer magical power he had been gifted.

But Nate and Zari, that was amazing. As time-travelers and enforcers, all of them knew that small changes to the timeline could result in massive changes further up the stream. Changes that, if widespread enough, could result in an entirely alternate universe from the one they had known. And the previous one would be completely forgotten. The whole purpose of the Time Bureau was to correct those changes, known as "anachronisms", a duty that the crew of the Waverider followed as well.

Sometimes things lingered. Even in the euphoria that followed the defeat of Neron and the reviving of Nate, the latter had seemed troubled, insisting something "wasn't right" even as he embraced fellow Legend Behrad Tatazi. At the time they all had ascribed his confusion to what had just happened to him. After all, he had been dead and revived by the concentrated goodwill of the crowd, which built a power that John Constantine was able to use. But that feeling had lingered with their friend, sometimes to the point that they all began to worry about him, even as he threw himself into the task of making HeyWorld come to full like as his father had dreamed. And he had succeeded, making it a beacon where humanity could mingle with otherworldly creatures and learn that appearances meant nothing. He had ushered in a time of unparralleled tolerance.

But something still seemed to be missing for Nate. It was only when he met Behrad's sister Zari that the lost look that they all sometimes saw in his eyes began to fade. But he couldn't explain why, and neither could Zari. They agreed, they had never met before. Neither could explain why they were drawn to each other but all agreed that they only had eyes for each other.

It wasn't that they were comfortable together. Far from it. The tension in the air between them when they were simply in the same room was near electric. At the same time, when they were together, be it at the Time Bureau, aboard the Waverider or anywhere the pair met they near automatically seemed to gravitate one to the other.

Finally, Gideon spilled the beans. The Waverider's AI had retained information on alternate timelines but generally refused to share any of it, lest it lead to anachronisms. But finally, she confessed when Sara pressed her. An entirely different time-line had existed where Zarin, not Behrad (who had been killed by an extreme anti-meta-human organization that had seized power) had been a member of the Legends. During the final confrontation with Neron, it had been planned she would remain on the Waverider, outside the timeline but when Nate was killed she could not keep herself from going to his side. So she had lost her memory along with everyone else when the timeline was reset.

Strangely enough, this revelation didn't turn out to be a big deal. Whatever had brought Zari and Nate together in the other timeline seemed to have worked just fine in this one. The pair was already falling in love and the news of what had happened between them before only made them sure the path they were on was the right one. There had been a rush to get married when Zari became pregnant with their son Hank but since that ceremony had been already planned own to the last detail it just needed to be sped up a little.

Sara sighed happily. It had been a long road for them all and a wild ride on that road. Life didn't stand still but right now her friends were happy and settled. And it was such an established habit that it hadn't even really dawned on her that Nate and Zari weren't the only couple here holding hands. She squeezed Ava's hand and the love of her life, or rather lives, squeezed back.

(The End) 


End file.
